Serial burglar jailed for over four years for series of raids

A man described as “brazen” has been jailed for over four-and-a-half years following a series of burglaries.

Billy Swaley Smith, (pictured above) of Tawneys Ride, in Bures, was jailed for four years and seven months on Tuesday, January 17, after he pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court.

He was arrested on August 18 last year in Ipswich and subsequently charged with three offences – a burglary on Chevalier Street, in Ipswich, where various items were stolen including an X-box; one on Rushmere Road, Ipswich, where jewellery and   £1,000 in cash were stolen; and a third in Bixley Road, Ipswich where £800 was stolen.

Following this charge and his guilty plea, Swaley Smith chose to work with the Operation Converter team and had a further 21 other offences of burglary and attempted burglary taken into consideration.

These took place during May, June, July and August last year across the county including addresses in Ipswich, Long Melford, Little Cornard and Bures.

During the burglaries various items were stolen including an Amazon kindle device, jewellery, power tools and golf clubs.

In one case at a property in Long Melford a large amount of bronze statues were taken, valued at around £10,000, while in another a small off-road Honda motorbike was taken and in another a trailer was used to transport items of gardening equipment and mechanic tools were taken.

DI Richard Prouse said: “Swaley Smith was a prolific burglar who preyed on residential properties and his actions caused widespread misery, distress and upset for his victims.

“He will now have plenty of time in jail to reflect on his brazen and callous criminal behaviour where he showed little or no regard for his victims. We know burglary can have a devastating effect on the victims and the prevention of burglary and the conviction of burglars continues to be a priority for the constabulary.”

And DC Barry Simpson, of the Op Converter team, added: “Whilst he was on remand he made the admissions to the others and we hope the fact we have secured this conviction will give some closure to those victims he targeted. The Op Converter process will allow him to be released from prison at the end of his sentence with a clean slate and it also provides a positive outcome to his victims.”